System for metering service on the lines of telephone-exchange.



o. M. BEATTIE.

SYSTEM FOR METERING SERVICE ON THE LINES 0P TELEPHONE EXCHANGES APPLIOATIOTT FILED SEPT.9,1907.'

Patented F8119, 1909 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

CHARLES M. BEATTIE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR'TO THE TELEOHRONOMETER COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SYSTEM FOR METERING SERVICE ON THE LINES OF TELEI;KONEEXCHANG EB.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES M. BEATrrn,

, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of. New York, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems f or Metering Service on the Lines of Tele- ;phoneExchanges, and .I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s, forming part of I the specification, and to t e reference char acters marked thereon.

. My present invention relates to telephony and itha's for its object to provide an 'ar-' rangement of apparatus for automatically re cording the length of time a subscribers tele- \phone instrument circuit is busy, or in use, either in receiving or despatching messages, or the aggregate time consumed in des atching' or receiving all messages occurring uring a given period; said apparatus comprising enerally a meter orrecording device which is actuated when a-tele hone circuit is closed to show the number 0 calls, and a separate meter for recording the'length of time said line is in use.

The inventionhas for its further object to provide a meter .0: recordin device ass0ciated with aj subscribers te ephone instrument circuit which is operated in conjunc tion with a paratus located at the central oflice or'exc ange, which is designed to actu- Qate'the meter at regular intervals of time" while the instrument circuit is connected for talking purposes with another circuit.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing two telephone instrument circuits provided with mechanism embodying my invention and the central oflice iztpparatus associated with said circuits.

ig. 2 is' an enlarged side elevation artly in section of the metering device emp oyed for re istcring a number of calls, initiated on a telephone circuit. Fig. 3 is. a detail plan view of the time controlling mechanism; and 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4"4" of Fig. 1.

Similarrefcrence characters in the several 1% figures indicate similar parts.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 9, 1907. Serial lfIo. 391,874.

Patented Feb; 9, 1909;

In illustrat n my invention, I have shown diagrammatica y in Fig. 1 twosubscribers tele hone instrument circuits indicatedgenerall byA and B, each ofwhich comprise the usua transmitters T, andreceivers R,- ar-- ranged in circuits comprising the line wires a, a, b, and b, respectively. At the central office, or exchan' e, these CODdUCtOl-S lead'to the usual'switch card: jacks-comprisin r the tip contact springs a and b? and the sleeve contact s rings a and b with which con ere ate the plugs of the answering and ca ing cord circuits indicated in the"present instance by o,'-' c"'and-d, d terminating in the tip contacts 0, d and the sleeve'contacts 0*, cl". Both of*the recording or metering devices are arranged at the subscribers station, and one of'them is adapted to be actuated manually by the subscriber. when he i ment cirbuit, 0% both of these circuits, are

use ingifren units of time, which may be either minutes or seconds of an arbitrary selection.

"The meter for recording the number of calls is preferably arranged to be operated in conjunction with the usual receiverhook '90 1 of the telephone apparatus, and comprises a recording mechanism 2, of the usual or any preferred construction, embodying revoluble numeral disks of the units, tens, hundreds,

and thousands order, the first oi which is adapted to be advanced progressively each time the receiver R is removed and replaced. To this end "said wheel may be provided a with ratchet teeth 3 with 'which cooperates a pawl '4 carried on an oscillatory arm "5. As it frequently happens that a subscriber 1' nay be compelled to open his circuit in order to attract the attention of the exchange operator, especiall if his instrument circuit is one of a so-ca led central energy system, such as is illustrated in the diagrammatic view, and to'do soit is necessary for him to erate his receiver .hook two or more tlmes; therefore in order to obviate recording false calls the operating me hanism 1s 11(- ceiver hoolg'l 'and hasits forward end 8 sated between the sides of theffork at the outerendmf the hook arm, and normally 10 projected by a spring 9 in such a position that the member 7 is moved inwardly and retained by the receiver B. when it is restored to its normal position on the hook. The rear end 10 of the member is pivotally connected to the arm 5 andserves to oscillate it'jn one direction to. actuate the counter mechanism, when the subscriber removes his receiver, and to restore said arm to its normal position when the receiver is replaced on the hook, as will be understood. [be other registering mechanism employed for recording the length of tiln the telephone isin use is indicated by 15. 'lhe mechanical features thereof may be similar to the 'meter already described, although the means for operating it com I rises electro magnetic devices associated wit the instrument circuit and adapted to be actuated by current, thereon at given intervals of time b devices located at the central' oifice.

'l e means which I have shown for operating this meter comprises in part the inductive windings in the telephone instrument circuits, which are arranged upon the ole 3:; pieces .of magnets A, and B, one of eac 1 ct said pole pieces being in the main circuits, while the other supports the secondary circuits of the receivers, as illustrated in 1: ig. 1, so that when the subscribers instrument -40 circuits are closed, by the closing of the receiver hooks and current is supplied thereto, said magnets will become active. Cooper-- ating with each of thesemagnets is an arma ture 16 supported one central pivot 17 vand connected by an arm 18 to a awl 19 cooperatin where y the latter may be advanced one step for each oscillation of the armature. The latter is polarized so that its two exac tremities are object may e conveniently obtained by the use of a permanent magnet 20 having its extremities arranged in proximity to the operating magnet, A or B and thearmature 16 cooperating therewith.

or exchange employed for actuating the time recording meter comprises mechanism for' varying the potential ofthe current supplied to the subscribers instrument circuit at given intervals of time to alternately denergize and energize the electro magnets. In order not to interrupt the undulatory voice currents which may be traversing said line and to prevent a disagreeable c-lick or vibration with the units wheel (0 the meter 15,"

oles of the same'sign, which.

. to traverse said resistance and to supply cur rent thereto. The same form of apparatus is adaptable to systems in which local battery is used for supplying current for talking purposes, or to central energy systems which the source of current is located at the central ofifice- The last mentioned system is, however, the most desirable and the one illustrated in the diagrammatic view in which the main battery or the source of the current supply is indicated by X, the positive and negative terminals thereof indicated-by a: and ac beingrconnected respectively to the contact arms e and f, the extremities which sweep over the resistances g and Ft,- respectively. These may consist of shallow beds of graphite or be otherwise constructed so that the current flowing through them may be gradually diminished nniiorniiy as the arms are moved relatively aw ayirom the terminals at one end, and likewise increase uniformly as said arms are returned or moved toward their 0 posite extremities. Theseresistances are ridged in multiple across both the answering" and calling cord circuits, when it is desired that a record shali be obtained of the time an instrument circuit is in use whether or not such use is at the instance of the subscriber initiating or answer inc: cells. However, if it is desired to record only one class of calls the central office apparatus may be associated only with one of the cord circuits as for instance, that the answering cord, in which event a record of the time an instrument circuit is in use wili be obtained only when calls originated therefrom,

When the central oflice apparatus is bridged to both cord circuits the connections will boas follows: The terminals at right and lefthand ends of the resistances g and is respectively 'are'ioined by a conductor '5 from which lead taps c and (t to the cord conductors c and d. The terminais at the other ere tremity. of the resistances g and it are con- The apparatus located at the central office nected by a conductor j which is likewise connected by taps c and-d with the c conductors cf and d, said taps heir provided with the usual relay impede c'e' coils 25 representing the operators supervisory means as will be understood. The movabl parts or arms of the rheostatic devices a pivoted as at26 and are connected for sinn taneous movement by a connecting d one end of which maybe extended form mechanism.

derminal 7 arm e, Wire: .1", to battery X. i\ow when the disl: 3], is rotated av hall writh the terminals {7 and h respectively,

pitman 28 connected to the timing devices which are adapted to oscillate the contact arms 0 and f at regular intervals of time. The timing device's may be of any desired construction and in the present instanceI have shown them as comprising a clock worktrain 29, one gear wheel 30 thereof being. the controlling member which is rotated at a given speed and governs the movement of the arms 2- and f through'intermediate The latter comprises a disk 31 journaled on a shaft and provided at diametricall' disposed points with teeth 33 and 34 with which cooperates a'pivoted pawl 35 which is operated by the spring 36. The disk 31 is loosely joulnaled on the shaft 32 and connected thereto at one end is a spring 37. the inner end of which is coiled about the shaftand is secured thereto as is also the gear wheel ,30, whereby as the latter is rotated a tension is imparted to said spring" which will rotate the d sk 31 when the detainer pawl 35 is released. Also attached to the shaft 32 are the release arms or strips 38 and 39 having beveled cam surfaces which are designed to engage a similar surface on a lateral projection -10 on the pawl35 to carse the latter to he disengaged from one of the notches on the disk 31 at each partial rotation of the shaft 3E. By this arrangement of the parts, it will be seen that the rotation of the disk is prevented for a prcdotcrn'iincd length of time when th contact arms 6 and fare in en 5111 cement with the terminals atci'l'hcrextremit y ol' the resistances g and i2, and that as the shaft 32 continues to be revolved by the movement imparted to the gear wheel 30 by the clock train, the spring 37 is placed under tension, its force to be exerted to oscillate the arms 0 and f when the detent is disengage-d from one of the notches 33 or 84.

T he reversal of the arms g andf may occur regularly at any predetermined interval of time, and in practice it is found that periods of about twenty seconds each are satis- I factory and thatcomputations on this basis may be easily made from the records appearing'on the meter 15, which is actuated upon each "rteygpsal in the direction of the How of current which occurs upon the shiftrection over the aforedescribed circuits will change the polarity of magnets'A and B causing their armatures to rock in the opposite direction and impart moven'ient to their respective recording devices. It will be seen then, that since the resistances g and h are uniform, the potential of the current f move away from terminals at one end and that as they approach a neutral point between said termlnals and those atthe other extremities of the resistances, that the battery is in effect shor't-circuited, but that owmgto the fact that said resistances are relatively high, the loss of current, if any, at such time will be small, and will be of momentary duration only because of the ra id movement imparted to said arms; It will be noted that as the current is gradually reduced, it is also gradually increased in strength after the arms 0 and f have passed the neutral point and are approaching the terminals at the other extremity of said resistances, so that the telephone instru ment circuits are't'ree of disturbances wh ch might be caused by the sudden application or removal of the current. By reason of the rapid movement of the arms a and f they quickly that the cessation of current to the transmittersis of such short duration that no inconvenience is experienced by the subscriber who may be conversing at the very instant this shifting of the arms takes place. During the nioveme .t ofthe arrrs supplied in decreasing quantities until such time as the arms almost reach the neutral points of their resistances, and they co1nmence to again apply the current as soon as the arms have passed said points.

In Fig. 1 two switch arms 0 and have been shown arrangcd in the taps c" and When those switch arms are closed as shown in that figure the variation of the current by means of the rhcostrtic .c is effective or Loth'sidcs ol' the cord circuit and will actuate the recording, device at the Stat-- tioncl' the calling subscriber and also at the station of the called subscriber. Should it,

ing of the armse and f as will be seen by tracing the following circuit: battery 1', contact arm f, terminal h, wire i and thcnce by the taps and 1 to the calling and answering subscribers instrument circuits, by means of which the magnets A and B arc energized and \vill eli'cct a movement of their respective armatures 16 in one direction; the current returning thence to the battery over the taps 6", (1, wire y,

revolution, the arms ,2 and fj'v. ill contact and thc current flowing in thgoppositedihowever, be dcs'ired to actuntethc meter only at the calling station, then the sr; chcs c and c are opened and the taps c and on the side of the cord circuit in which the calling plug is included are connected hy wires 0 and c" With the wires 2: and :11 respectively, as indicated in dotted lines. In that (also the side of the cord circuit in which the answering plug is included, is the only side affected by the variations due to the opera- 12 tion of the rheostatic device and the recording device ofthe calling subscriber only will be actuated. If it is desired to actuate only the recording device of the called subscriber, as when a charge is to be reversed, 7

pass the neutral points of the resistances so current sufficient for talking purposes is of the battery is decreased as the arms 6 and then the answering plug of the cord circuit I and supervisory purposes, and means for el is inserted in the spring jack of the called subscriber and the ceiling plug in the spring jack of the calling subscriber, as will be readily understood.

My description of the apparatus employed. e to efiecting the I has been thus far confin operation of the timerecording meters y a reversal of the current, but this may be effected by merely a reduction. of the potential' of the. current without reversing its direction of flow, but in such a case the armstures 16 of. the magnets A and B must be operated in one direction mechanically by means of sprin s 61v (shown in dotted lines) or e uivialent evices, provided for retract ing t e armatures into inoperative position. The current a plied in this manner is impressed upon tlie circuit so that it is merely 2 0 necessary to operate the contact arms (2 and f to, the neutral point of the resistances g and h, as shown in clotted lines in Fi z l, and then restore them to the position siown in full lines in said figure, as this movement is all that is requireclto gradually decrease the flow of current and subseeuently gradually increase it, The crank dish 31 in such case would be designed to make scompiete revolution at each operation.

The apparatus I have described and illustrated permits a complete record to he had of telephonic service rendered for each instrument circuit, both as to the number of cells despatchcd and received and the aggregate 35 length of time which a telephone. circuit is in use between giyen periods. The manually opereiting meter recording, it does, the number of connections set up y the operzit-or at the central oilice gives the basis on which a fiat rate OI'l'Giltfii me," be based in payment for the labor in settings the connections, and the time service meter, from which the number of minutes or fractions thereof may be obtained, 7 s a basis for s cl'ia'rge of a different chars tor based upon the length of time a line is in use. As the operating expenses of telephone systems fall within these two closes" on accurate charge based upon metered s i JlCO should be proportioned between those hill-rent classes or" expenses. I claim as my invention:

1. in a, telephone rnctcrin" srstom, the

- operating" mechanism adopted to he matuetcd upon each change in theldirection of flow of said current.

2. in a telephone metering system, the

combination with a subscribcfis instrument ()5 circuit, a source of current supply for talking stingssid device adapted to be ectneteo b circuit and a device for recording time .r-oinbination with a normally open circu =ternating the direction of the flow of said current at uniform intervals oi time, of e registering device associated with said cir- .cuit for recording the number of. current re verssls, and electromagnetic ee /ices for said current reversals;

In a telephone ine-t in. combination with a sober circuit, a registering device associated therewith end a source of on nt supply for tciio ing and supervisory urposes, of means interposeci between saic source and the instru rnent circuit for alternately reversing the connections between the two sides of the circuit and said source and electromagnetic devices operated yponj each of said alternaeystem; the

tions to actuate the {registering device.

4. In a telephone registering system, the combination with tigro. subscribers instrument circuits, centrgil office ceiling and enswering cord. circuits fo conneeting them and a. source of current connected to seiol cord circuits .for supplying both instrument circuits with current for talking and supervisory purposes, of recoriling devices ascr cisted with each instrument circuit, inc for alternately reversing the directio flow of current over the instrument circuits and electromagnetic mechanisms I by each current reversal for actuating the recording devices 5. In s telephone registering system, the combination with normally open circuit. subscribers telephone set arranged in the veis; mechanism for operating it comp-i a magnet associated with the instrumer which is adopted to he energized when L circuit is closed and the instrument set is. in operation and a polarized armature for s. magnet, of a source of current supp y operating the instrument set in said circ and means for reversing the direct ,n of how of the current therein periodicall: to c a corresponding operation of the EGCOXQE (is ice While the telephone S'Bn is in use.

6. In it telephone. registering system the use, and a polarized armature for said not, of a source supplying direct current for operating the instrument set in sand circuit,

up devices for controlling said .1 teiephone'inw e or" current supply for talking purposes, a means for re e a 1 the direction of iiow 05: said current o r her s instrument means for changing: the polarity of said msgsaid circuit embodying a rheostatic device comprising a resistance connected to the two sides of the circuit and a movable part adapted to travel over the resistance to gradually reduce the amount of current flowing to one side of the circuit and gradually increase the' amount thereof flowing to the other side/of the circuit, means for moving said part and metering devices adapted to be operated by said current in said circuit.

-' 8. The combination with a telephone instrument circuit and a relatively high resist ance bridged across the circuit, of a source of current su ply, a contact arm connected thereto ant feeding current to said resistance,

means for adjusting the arm thereover at regular intervals of time, said resistance being arranged to reduce the flow of current to one side of the circuit and increase the flow of such current to the other sidothcreof during the movement of the arm, and devices adapted to be operated by current in said circuit at corresponding intervals to give a time record 9. The combination with a telephone instrument circuit comprising .two conductors and two resistances each bridging the conductors, of a bontact arm cooperating with each resistance, a source of current supply bridged to the two arms, means for causing the latter to traverse their respective resistances at regular intervals of time and means associated with said instrument circuit which is adapted to be operated by changes in the potential of current thereon to give a time record corresponding to the movements of. the arms. y

10. The combination with a telephone instrument circuit and a source of current supply for talking and supervising purposes, of Ineans for varying the potential of such current, and registering mechanism comprising electromagnetic devices arranged in said circult and adapted to be actuated upon each change of said current. I

11. In a system for metering telephone service, the combination with a normally open circuit, a telephone set comprising a' transmitter, a receiver and a receiver hook controlling contacts for closing said circuit when the set is in use and a recording device comprising an electromagnetic operating mechanism which is included in the circuit when the hook contacts are closed," of a source of currentsupply for operating t-heinstrument set andmcans for eiiecting the operation of said electroma netic mechanism by gradually reducing an( subsequently increasing the potential of the current on said circuit.

12. The combination with a telephone instrument circuit central ofllce apparatus comprising-a cord circuit and a, source of current supply, of rheostatic devices comprising resistances bridged in multiple across said cord circuit, contact arms connected to opposite terminals of the source of current suppl and feeding current to said circuit througi the resistances, means for simultaneously moving said arms over the latter at regular intervals of time, and elcetrcnurgnctic rewindings, pole pieces arranged in suid windings, and an armature actuated thereby, of a service recording meter associated with the instrument set and operated by the armature.

14. The combination with a normally open line circuit, a telephone arranged therein comprising areceivor having the-usual diaphragm, and contacts controlled by the receiver for closing said circuit, of a service meter, an electromagnetic device associated with the telephone set and included in the line circuit when the latter is closed to operate the meter, a source of current supply for talking purposes and rheostatic devices for controlling its potential by reducing and subsequently increasing the flow of current by v raduations which do not affect the diaphragm of the receiver.

15. In a telephone system, the combination with a plurality of subscribers instru ment circuits and a central office equipment comprising operators cord c1'rcu1ts for connecting two or more subscribers circuits,

embodying means for supervising said connections and a source supplying current for talking pur oses to the instrument circuits and the cor circuits for operating the supervising means, of. a telephone set comprising an induction- Winding which is arranged in series in each subscribers circuit for tele phonic purposes when the latter-is in use, a service recording meter associated with each telephone set and actuated by the-current supplied tosaid winding.

16. In a telephone system, the conibination with a plurality of subscribers instrument circuits and a central office equipment comprising operators cord circuits for connecting two or more subscribers circuits embodying means for supervising said connections and a source supplying current for talkin purposesto the'instrument circuits and t e cord circuits for operating the su ervisin means of means for-var in the potential of said current, a telephone set comprising a winding which is brought into each subscriber s instrument circuit when the 1 tter is in use and a service'recordin meter c bh trolled by current supplied to sai winding and actuated b current therein upon each variation of said current.

17. In a telephone system, the combincl winding upon the successive variations of tion with a plurality of subscribers instru l potentlsl in the current flowing through said merit circuits and a central office equipment comprising operators cord circuits for con-- nectmg two or more subscribers circuits embodying means for supervising said connections and a source supplying current for talking pu oses to the instrument circuits and the cor circuits for operating the super-' vising means, of time controlled mechanism located at the central oflice for periodically varying the potential of said current, a. telehone set in each subscribers circuit em- Eodying a winding which is brought into the circuit when the latter is in use and a service recording meter actuated by current in the l character c Patent Ofiice.

[same] winding.

18. '1 he combination with a telephone circuit carrying the ordinary talking current, of a current controller for gradually reducing and restoring the talking current, an actuator for operating said controller periodically, and a recording device. actuated by such periodic changes of the talking current durmg the useof the telephone.

CHARLES M. BEATTIE.

Witnesses:

RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH, F ORENCE E. FRANCE.

It. is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No, 912,268, granted February 9,1909 upon the applicalioiflof Charles DI. Beattie, of Rochester, i

ment in Systems for Metering Service on the Lines of Telephone- Signed and sealed this lGthday of March, D.-, I969.

c. c. BILLIN-GS,

New York, for an improve- Exchanges, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 1 18, page 2, the reference character d should read d, and in line ZllS, page 3, the reference should read .c'; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Acting Commissionerof Patents.

17. In a telephone system, the combincl winding upon the successive variations of tion with a plurality of subscribers instru l potentlsl in the current flowing through said merit circuits and a central office equipment comprising operators cord circuits for con-- nectmg two or more subscribers circuits embodying means for supervising said connections and a source supplying current for talking pu oses to the instrument circuits and the cor circuits for operating the super-' vising means, of time controlled mechanism located at the central oflice for periodically varying the potential of said current, a. telehone set in each subscribers circuit em- Eodying a winding which is brought into the circuit when the latter is in use and a service recording meter actuated by current in the l character c Patent Ofiice.

[same] winding.

18. '1 he combination with a telephone circuit carrying the ordinary talking current, of a current controller for gradually reducing and restoring the talking current, an actuator for operating said controller periodically, and a recording device. actuated by such periodic changes of the talking current durmg the useof the telephone.

CHARLES M. BEATTIE.

Witnesses:

RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH, F ORENCE E. FRANCE.

It. is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No, 912,268, granted February 9,1909 upon the applicalioiflof Charles DI. Beattie, of Rochester, i

ment in Systems for Metering Service on the Lines of Telephone- Signed and sealed this lGthday of March, D.-, I969.

c. c. BILLIN-GS,

New York, for an improve- Exchanges, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In line 1 18, page 2, the reference character d should read d, and in line ZllS, page 3, the reference should read .c'; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Acting Commissionerof Patents.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 912,268, granted February 9, 1909 upon the application of Charles M. Boothe, of Rochester, New York, for an improve ment in Systems for Metering Service on the Lines of Telephone-Exchanges, error:

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 912,268.

appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: In line 1l8,page 52 the reference character (1 should read d, and in line i18, page 3, the reference character 0 should read c; and that the said Letters Patent shoi'lld be read with these corrections therein that, the some may conform to the record of the case in the Patent ()fliue.

Signed ind sealed this 16th day of March, 1);,1909.

m 0. c. BILLINGS,

Acting Commission erof Patents. 

